‘The View’ calls on Jasmine Crockett to ‘own her mistake’ over false GOP–Epstein donation claims
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Rep Jasmine Crockett is under fire after 'The View' co-hosts criticized her for making false claims that several Republican figures accepted campaign donations from convicted offender Jeffrey Epstein. The backlash unfolded after Crockett doubled down on accusations that turned out to be based on donations from an unrelated man with the same name.
Crockett had alleged that EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, former Utah Senator Mitt Romney, and the NRCC took money from Epstein, a claim quickly proven false through Federal Election Commission records.
What an embarrassment😂Jas and her 'team'😂
— I am Ken (@Ikennect) November 19, 2025
Rep. Jasmine Crockett took to the House floor and accused a list of Republicans of taking money from “somebody named Jeffrey Epstein.”
Problem: None of them took money from THAT Jeffrey Epstein. Some took donations from a doctor with… pic.twitter.com/exQldrxcSm
‘The View’ panel blasts Jasmine Crockett for false Jeffrey Epstein claims
The panel didn’t mince words. Joy Behar, visibly annoyed by the misinformation, clarified that the money came from a different Jeffrey Epstein, a self-employed physician.
“Okay, it is also false that Mitt Romney and the NRCC took money… so it’s not true that they took money from Jeffrey Epstein?” Behar asked, exasperated. “Okay, yes, a different [Jeffrey Epstein]. It’s so confusing and annoying!”
Co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin warned that Crockett’s approach is exactly what frustrates voters.
“But Joy, this is why people get so frustrated with politicians. Something horrible was done. We all agree on that,” she said. “Epstein engaged in horrific crimes, but people care more about, well, my team didn’t do it, your team did.”
Sara Haines said Crockett needed to take responsibility instead of deflecting.
“When you’re going to throw out an accusation that big … just own it, say it was a mistake, and move on,” she said. “Because to then try to say, well, they lie and we don’t lie, again, it’s the distrust in Congress.”
FEC data confirms GOP donations tied to different Jeffrey Epstein
FEC filings show that a physician named Jeffrey Epstein donated $750 to Zeldin’s congressional race in April 2020 and another $250 in August 2020, a full year after the notorious Epstein died in federal custody.
The same individual appears to have given two $250 donations to Romney’s 2012 presidential run.
Crockett’s team also cited several “troll donations” sent to WinRed, where contributors listed the donor’s occupation as “child molestor” and employer as “JEFFREY EPSTEIN,” clear indicators that the entries were fraudulent. Despite the obvious red flags, Crockett insisted she hadn’t lied.
“[Zeldin] admitted that he did receive donations from a Jeffrey Epstein, so at least I wasn’t trying to mislead people,” she said on 'The Source' with Kaitlan Collins. She also claimed her staff hadn’t been given enough time to fact-check.
New Epstein documents spark scrutiny for both Dems and Republicans
The resurfaced donation accusations came as Democrats and Republicans traded political blows over newly revealed Epstein-related documents. The files also showed that Democratic Virgin Islands Delegate Stacey Plaskett exchanged messages with Epstein during a 2019 congressional hearing with Michael Cohen.
Epstein provided her the name of a Trump Organization staffer right before her questioning, and he donated to her political efforts as well, according to Business Insider.
